Chapter 15: Bluefeather City

The Kingdom of Aurumia was a competitive place, evident in the behavior of its noble families. Nobles constantly strived to outshine their peers. Earl families tried to outdo other earls, and dukedoms aimed to surpass one another, all under the watchful eyes of the Royal family. Even Talon, in the remote town of Eryndor, had heard tales of this competition from traveling bards and minstrels.

Since Luth came from an Earl family in the Bluefeather Duchy, Talon guessed that this young noble might be more willing to answer his questions if he knew Talon was from a rival territory. He might even answer just to spite the Ironflower Duchy. Talon’s hunch proved correct.

"Hahaha," Luth laughed out loud. "I knew you must have been from that backward region when you didn’t even know what a Warrior was. Ironflower is truly the home of blockheads. No wonder."

After satisfying his ego by insulting Talon’s hometown, he finally replied, "In the world, a Knight is neither high nor low. So, it is relatively easy to find them in large cities like Bluefeather City. Warriors are the second level after Awakened, with Squire and Knight coming afterwards."

"Can knights truly fly?" Vaila finally spoke, emboldened by Talon’s questions.

Her sweet and attractive voice drew Luth’s attention. He finally noticed the girl covered with a cloak on the cart behind Talon. Her snow-white skin was dazzling in the soft morning sun. Her short snow-white hair and bright red eyes, along with her cheerful look, made Luth’s heart skip a beat. Although she was very skinny, it didn’t reduce her beauty. She seemed like a colorful goddess in a black-and-white painting. Such beauty didn’t belong on such a rundown cart.

For a few seconds, he didn’t reply. He was too engrossed in her appearance to remember her question.

"Can they?" she asked again.

"Erm, erm... yes, yes..." Seeing an opportunity to impress her, he braced himself and explained, "Not just knights. Squires can already fly, so it isn’t surprising that knights can too." His patient tone contrasted with the derisive one he used with Talon.

"Truly? That’s... that’s... amazing."

Luth felt his heart skip a beat again when he saw her cheerful face brighten at his words. Talon noticed this and felt something was off. 'Was the young noble smitten by Vaila?' he wondered. This wouldn’t be surprising. Even male staff at the orphanage had tried to bully her several times because of her looks. The only reason they never went too far was because the teachings of the Holy Mother Church portrayed albinos as almost sacred. Female staff, however, treated her unkindly due to her beauty, but most of the bullying Vaila endured came from other orphans rather than the staff, unlike the experience of other orphans at the orphanage.

Talon saw this as an opportunity. He cleared his throat loudly, breaking the brewing conversation between Vaila and Luth. Realizing he had been enamored for a moment, Luth changed the subject.

"You guys are heading to Bluefeather City too. Is this your first time leaving Ironflower?"

"Yes, that is true, young lord."

Seeing that Talon was still being subservient, Luth nodded inwardly in satisfaction. "What are you going there to do? Judging by your cart, you aren’t going there to sell goods."

Talon laughed. "You have truly discerning eyes, your lordship. We are moving to Bluefeather Duchy. I am an adventurer."

"Oh? You are an adventurer?"

"Yes."

"How come you know so little of the world then?"

"I lived in a remote town called Eryndor. There are few monsters there, and I couldn’t take distant missions because I had to take care of Vaila," he gestured to his sister.

Luth nodded, understanding Talon’s decision. "You might be the first adventurer I’ve seen who hasn’t traveled past their own hometown."

"I hope to change that in Bluefeather."

"Bluefeather is the best place to gain experience and enjoy adventures. Unlike those backward nobles of Ironflower, we in Bluefeather don’t try to suppress the adventurer guild. That’s why our duchy is seen as the center of all adventurers in the kingdom, apart from the royal capital."

Luth praised Bluefeather Duchy so much that Talon almost shook his head in amusement. 'Shouldn’t he be praising his family’s Earldom? Anyone hearing him would think he was the Duke of Bluefeather’s grandson.' (1)

As they talked and discussed, they passed the heavily protected fortress called White Tower and drew closer to Bluefeather City.

Bluefeather City was a true city. It had tall, thick walls that looked like the face of a mountain. Heavy ballistas, trebuchets, and arbalests lined the top of the twelve-meter-tall walls with parapets, battlements, towers, and gatehouses visible in various parts. They could even see people walking around on top of the fifteen-foot-thick wall.

Seeing Talon and Vaila stunned, Luth explained that the walls were built to keep out monster tides because some monster tides included powerful monsters. It had been a long time since the kingdom had seen a war with other human kingdoms.

"Can monsters really be that strong?"

Luth nodded solemnly. "I heard from my older brother that during an expedition, a cow at the level of a Squire almost slaughtered their entire platoon of soldiers in the Lupin Mountain Range. If not for their commander, who was also a Squire, they would have all died."

Talon sank into his thoughts solemnly. It was truly scary to hear that a monster could be that powerful.

"Did the cow fly over the moon?" Vaila’s question came from nowhere, shocking Luth and amusing Talon. After a few moments, they all burst into laughter at the reference.

A rundown cart and a luxurious carriage riding side by side, with laughter filling the air, made for a surreal sight.

---

Beyond the walls, the city bustled with life. The gates, reinforced with iron and flanked by massive barbicans, opened to reveal a vibrant, thriving community. Market stalls brimming with gemstones, rare herbs, and enchanted trinkets lined the cobbled streets. The air was filled with the sounds of merchants haggling, children laughing, and the occasional roar of an awakened beast being tamed. Above all, the Bluefeather family’s sigil—a regal blue feather adorned with gemstones—flew proudly from every corner.

From afar, the siblings could see the grand castle of House Bluefeather soaring even higher, its spires reaching for the sky. Surrounded by lush gardens and protected by a secondary set of walls, the castle was like a silent guardian watching over the city.

This was the first grand city they had witnessed. Their cart headed towards the nearest inn, with the siblings gawking at the city view all the while. When they found an inn, Luth’s party headed deeper into the city, towards the towering castle.

It took Talon almost twenty minutes to find an inn with available rooms. The constant stream of visitors to Bluefeather City made the inn business incredibly lucrative, with entire streets lined with inns, yet many operated at full capacity. Talon felt a wave of relief when the attendant at the Huckleberry Inn assured him they still had some rooms left.

He rented a basic room but quickly realized the cost of staying in such a bustling city. "Thirty-five Coppercrests... damn thieves," he muttered, his heart sinking at the thought of spending so much for a simple room.

In the thriving city of Bluefeather, lodging came at a premium. Unlike in Eryndor, where a room cost just 2 Coppercrests per night, here it demanded 5 Coppercrests. Planning to stay for a week, Talon calculated the total cost to be 35 Coppercrests, which significantly lightened his coin bag. Although Coppercrest was the lowest denomination of the Bluecrest currency, it was still a substantial amount for Talon to spend.

------------

[A/N: (1) Technically, an earl could be the offspring of a duke, so it is quite possible that Luth was the grandson of the Duke of Bluefeather. It is doubtful if Talon knew enough about pedigree to understand this.]